Learning the Science of Life

Discovery Tuesday: Big Bertha (About Time)

Hurricane Bertha is officially the first hurricane of the 2008 season. It has now whirlled through the central Atlantic with winds blowing at 195 kilometers (120 miles) per hour. Fortunately, it did not hit any land.

An Image of “Big Bertha”

Bertha is a category three storm and is currently located 1,085 kilometers east-northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands. It is moving to the northwest at 17 kilometers per hour according to the National Hurricane Center.

Projections estimate that it may hit Bermuda, but there is also a good chance that it will turn away from the island as a gradual weakening of the storm is expected to begin soon.